The BBC News reports that:
Ryan Block simply wanted to cancel his Comcast internet service.
Instead of a short phone call with the company, however, his experience turned into a 20-minute ordeal, as Block and his wife were berated by a Comcast "retention specialist" who doggedly refused to accept the request.
"Help me understand why you don't want faster internet?" he repeatedly asked. "I'm trying to help you. You're not letting me help you."
Mr Block, a technology journalist who works for AOL, recorded the final eight minutes of the call and shared the audio with his 82,000 Twitter followers. The speed at which the clip went viral - the Soundcloud audio file had almost 4 million plays within two days - reflects that Mr Block is not alone in his frustration with major telecommunications providers.
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Tim Davis moved his household and, not finding a competitive ISP, relocated his Comcast service. He did the online install himself and everything was OK until a few weeks later when he experienced intermittent outages.
Techdirt notes:
An initial call with Comcast confirmed the problem was with the wiring outside the home, not the internal setup. Tim recorded that conversation, including when a Comcast rep confirmed that there is no charge to have a technician do work on outside lines to provide adequate service. Makes sense. A technician comes out, fixes the outside line issue, tests the network inside the home to assure connectivity is restored, and leaves. Then this happens.
All is fine until a week or two later when Davis receives a bill that includes $99.99 for "Failed Self Install," another $32 for "Failed Video [Self Install Kit]," and $49.95 for "Wireless Network SET Up." That's $181.94 in total. But, insists Davis, the problem wasn't that he failed to do the self-install correctly or that there was a failed self-install kit, since the problem involved cables entering his property that he never touched. Similarly, the tech never set up or did anything with Davis's WiFi system, so the set-up charge is bogus.
Calling Comcast back, the rep insists that Tim owes them for the repair. It's only when Tim reveals he has a recording of the previous call that the rep reneges.
ALWAYS RECORD CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLS.
Oh, but if you're recording your call, you may want to pay attention to the local laws about such things
Related:
Comcast Internet Cancellation Horror Story Goes Viral
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:36AM
Comcast will certainly throw the CSR under the bus so that they can deny that what he did was the inevitable result of their policies towards their own employees.
Just another example of how monopolies fuck their customers and their employees.
(Score: 5, Informative) by c0lo on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:13AM
Linked [reddit.com] from the BBC FA:
What we've heard is not a psycho CSR, it was a human being fighting for his survival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Taibhsear on Thursday July 17 2014, @02:33PM
How is this not illegal? How can someone put in hours of work and get paid nothing for it? Wouldn't this be a violation of minimum wages of some sort?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @10:21PM
If parent is accurate, he is getting paid around $10-12/hour. There are spiffs/bonus/incentives to retain a line of business, 5-10 cents per line. If he saved 85%, he gets paid for all those lines saved. If under 75% are retained, doesn't get any.
So he does get paid his hourly rate, but misses out on any money from the bonus program.
(Score: 1) by chewbacon on Friday July 18 2014, @02:06AM
So is the caller to blame? If this is the result of corporate greed holding a paycheck over the heads of their employees, then the CSR is the victim here. So what? It may have exasperated the caller and wasted 20 minutes of his time, but he would've forgotten it in a week or two. Meanwhile, this guy doing his job is likely going to end up jobless and ineligible for rehire.
I get a lot of solicitor calls and they bug the hell out of me, but if you don't answer the phone and tell them not to call then they'll keep calling. They're doing their jobs. I kindly give them a minute of my time, decline their offer, thank them and ask them not to call back again. Folks doing their jobs, trying to support themselves and perhaps their families.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:22PM
So they have a position that entirely consists of arguing with the customer? Wow.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Archon V2.0 on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:59PM
Yep. After all, if you're trying to leave then it doesn't matter what they do to you as long as it's not illegal. What are they going to do, make you leave more? They'd rather you hate them and stay than respect them and leave.
The retention specialist's job is to make it more expensive for you to leave than it is to stay, even if that expense is time and personal suffering. (Alternately, they enrage you until you use profanity or insult the specialist, at which point he/she tells you abuse is not permitted and drops the call.)
As long as it's not technically impossible to leave and they don't threaten you (at least with violence - if your contract leaves you open to a lawsuit they could threaten that), they're in the clear. Maybe it takes six hours of chanting the Buddhist heart sutra to cancel your service, but it's still possible. Unless it makes it to the court of public opinion (rare - think of all the other people who dealt with this one retention specialist and remember that he's a cog in a giant machine - this guy got lucky that the Internet noticed), then the person's only option is civil court. Since they've done nothing worthy of calling the cops, they know their opponent is a human with a job and a life and a limited pocket book, who can't sue them over this without ruining their life.
Seriously, if they could get away with it the hold time to a specialist would be one hour and the hold music would be a serial rapist explaining his crimes in detail. Please stay on the line, your call is important to us.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:59PM
I had to yell for a supervisor repeatedly to get disconnected from DirectTV. I was promptly disconnected without any additional argument and needing to go to the supervisor. I suspect that the CSR gets an even bigger demerit for each call that needs to pester a supervisor than for each lost subscriber.
Do I feel sorry for the CSRs? Not even a little bit. Yeah their job sucks and all, but I would prefer the entire company be put out of my misery. Either way the CSR with the terrible job would be unemployed.
I suggest asking for a supervisor the moment they start arguing.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2, Informative) by koreanbabykilla on Thursday July 17 2014, @09:50PM
Former DTV retention supervisor here. There are no penalties for transferring a call to your supervisor besides them talking shit about it.
Save rate is very important though. At 80% save rate looking at maybe a $300 monthly bonus. At 87% they are looking at more like $1100.
Under around 80% and you only get the $10/hr and no bonus.
If one of my agents sent me a call just because they refused to just cancel the account I would have talked shit for days.
BTW, If you get someone whose checks say "DirecTV" on them and not Convergys or the other vendors they outsource to, you will also have a much better experience.
(Score: 1, Troll) by nitehawk214 on Friday July 18 2014, @02:15PM
"talking shit" is the only demerit for people not doing their job and pissing off customers? Fuck you and fuck your company too.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by koreanbabykilla on Monday July 21 2014, @08:42PM
Um...I was just explaining how it works cockbag. Please note the usage of the past tense. Fuck YOU, and I'm ok with Fuck DirecTV as well.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by redneckmother on Thursday July 17 2014, @10:09PM
I had a long (but pleasant) conversation with the DTV rep who took my "disconnect request". She was a delightful and sympathetic soul, and offered me (according to a script, I'm sure, but she worded it well) everything except lifetime free service to stay. I complimented her on her efforts (in case of an audio review), joked with her a bit, and let her do what she had to do for whatever brownie points she needed. Her parting words were something to the effect that if ever reestablished service, they'd be happy to have my business. I thanked her, and told her that I'd certainly keep them in mind.
A truly unique experience, I'm sure - and I am deeply grateful for her help. I hope her stupidvisor appreciated her (and that she didn't "pay a price" for my leaving).
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:55AM
Recording phone calls without the agreement of both parties is illegal in many U.S. states. Hope this guy lived in one of those states where it's legal.
With regard to the poor customer rep, he needed to be fired for his own sake. There have to be better things to do than work in such a diseased, soulless corporation.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by LaminatorX on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:13AM
"This call may be monitored for training and quality purposes."
(Score: 2) by mendax on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:49AM
I was referring to the Comcast customer, not the customer service rep.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @05:17AM
Once you consent to the call being monitored/recorded by staying on the line after the disclaimer is sounded, both parties are in agreement and either party can make a recording without any further notice to the other.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @11:52AM
Interesting. Can you back that up or are we supposed to trust some random AC from the internet?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @01:56PM
Seems that one could simply claim this was being done for quality purposes.
After all, they said that the call may be recorded for that.
(Score: 2) by nitehawk214 on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:03PM
Simple. Just repeat back what their recording said, "This call may be monitored for training and quality purposes." If you want to be extra safe, simply add "Hang up now if you do not consent."
Oh, that was the automated recording and not the actual person? Not my problem.
At least the guy was kind enough to censor the CSR's name. The only way the guy would be outted is if Comcast dose it themselves. And you know they will take any opportunity to toss the guy under the bus.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by nitehawk214 on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:31PM
Of course, I could be wrong. [techdirt.com]
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @09:28PM
Note the CSR never actually hung up. They are probably trained to say that because there is no penalty to them for doing so.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @05:29AM
> he needed to be fired for his own sake. There have to be better things to do than work in such a diseased, soulless corporation.
The mating cry of the privileged internet douche.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Thursday July 17 2014, @08:56AM
It is legal in Virginia Beach [youtube.com].
(From the video "Don't talk to the cops", which is worth watching for US readers)
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:19PM
He's not talking to a cop; he's talking to an employee of a company. Not related to the government or law enforcement at all.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday July 17 2014, @12:07PM
> With regard to the poor customer rep, he needed to be fired for his own sake. There have to be better things to do than work in such a diseased, soulless corporation.
The customer rep is only the symptom of a bad organization. What is needed is to kick Comcast from their de facto monopoly setup. And that the pain of non-compliance is felt for those people that actually makes the decisions. Now if every Comcast customer would show up and pling at his home to tell about how they been treated. That would tie up his time for .. a long time.
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Friday July 18 2014, @12:05AM
But if party 1 records, party 2 can also record and not tell party 1. Party 2 has already given consent to be recorded by recording. They also open with the line "This call may be recorded...". make sure you get that as well for added protection.
it is hard to testify in court that you did not consent to be recorded when your own voice states explicitly that you do.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Friday July 18 2014, @11:17PM
That's a very good point. They don't say "You consent to recording *by us*." They only say "You consent to recording." In places where all parties must agree to calls being recorded, that should be sufficient to make your own recording. And in places where one party must agree, you're in the clear anyhow.
1702845791×2
(Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:08AM
if they were calling in regards to collecting their payment?
If we would also handle communications in a "businesslike" way, it would drive 'em nuts!
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:32AM
1702845791×2
(Score: 4, Interesting) by cafebabe on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:38AM
He's lucky to speak to someone with the authority to cancel his account. An acquaintance stooped low enough to work in the Bill Explanation Department of an ISP. This was a Catch 22 arrangement where anyone available by telephone had no authority to cancel accounts and anyone who could cancel accounts was not available via telephone.
1702845791×2
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JeanCroix on Thursday July 17 2014, @01:41PM
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:46AM
That the reporter works for AOL brings back ironic memories. AOL's customer retention department used to be notorious in the late 90's and early 2000's (a) for trying anything to get customers not to switch away, and (b) being empowered to grant nearly anything if the customer specifically asked for it. I got free service because a friend clued me into that. Later, as the 2000's progressed, they got so adversarial with customers that New York sued them. See http://consumerist.com/2006/07/18/aol-retention-manual-revealed/ [consumerist.com] for gory details, including the story about the posting of a recorded phone call with AOL's customer retention service that went as viral as things went back then -- meaning straight to mainstream news coverage.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @05:12AM
Thats why he was trying to cancel his Comcast service, so he could get a less-throttled internet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @05:27AM
so they have a job position at comcast that tries to retain customers?
isn't this a bit like a job position that tries to gauge customer satisfaction?
how is this news?
also do not forget that the "retain customers" job is a sh1itty one.
imagine you have to do it ... and they have a quota or out you go?
meh, i wouldn't want that job.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @05:49AM
sober up, champ
(Score: 1) by Arik on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:10PM
It's a vicious situation created by vicious management. They may avoid flat out telling employees to do what this one did, but they create and enforce rules that guarantee it will happen.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by bzipitidoo on Thursday July 17 2014, @06:06AM
Comcast "won" the Worst Company in America contest earlier this year. It wasn't their first championship either.
Hello, Federal Trade Commission? Federal Communications Commission? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? You guys aren't doing your jobs. Are you all that tightly captured that you won't do anything? How bad does it have to get before you act?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday July 17 2014, @12:11PM
They will act according to the bought laws and only look into something when they pipeline of monetary favors dries up.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday July 17 2014, @12:15PM
Use registred mail and write that you cancel your subscription at date so and so. Any deviation will be dealt with a suprise attack lawsuit. I wonder how hard it can be to get a court to terminate the contract. And there's always the vigilante option.
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Thursday July 17 2014, @01:37PM
That's more like it.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2) by strattitarius on Thursday July 17 2014, @06:57PM
Then it would be awesome if you could take the $5k judgement and sick a collection agency on them (but the agency will take an insane percentage).
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Rivenaleem on Thursday July 17 2014, @02:18PM
How is it a question that this went viral? The guy has 80,000+ twitter followers!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @03:56PM
Nevermind the massive buildup of hatred that ISPs have been picking up.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday July 18 2014, @01:55AM
Comcast carma seems to be a real painful bitch ;)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 17 2014, @04:45PM
If you tell them you're joining the Peace Corps and leaving the country I would hope they'd just cancel your service without the retention song and dance.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Lazarus on Thursday July 17 2014, @06:31PM
Just tell them that you're unemployed,and that you just ran out of unemployment, so have no money for them.
Before learning this trick, when I had problems with my Comcast service, I switched to DSL just to avoid the terrible Comcast support people. I just stopped paying the cable bill until they disconnected me. Life is easier when you don't give a crap about your credit rating.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Nobuddy on Friday July 18 2014, @12:44AM
Good timing, I cancelled today. I found out there was a little known fiber option in my area, Comcast lost their monopoly. All hooked up and ready to roll, so I called Comcast and had to talk to these freaks. I had to get very firm and stick with that.
"I give you two options- disconnect my services OR reduce them to $0.00 and leave them connected. I will accept no other choices."
Any attempt to deviate got that statement again. On the third repeat, they disconnected service.